SQ 832: a competition-crushing, AI-adopting dream for Big Business

SQ 832: A Competition-Crushing, AI-Adopting Dream for Big Business

State Question 832, the ballot measure that would dramatically raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage, is a gift to Big Business, Big Tech, and the accelerating AI revolution. Oklahomans will vote on June 16th to decide the fate of our state's economic future. SQ 832 is bad news, and let me take a few moments to warn you about it.

We stand at the threshold of tremendous technological transformation, one that risks the “de-humanization” of common work. AI, algorithms, and robotics are increasingly being used, in all industries, to handle routine tasks. I'm watching it grow in the cleaning and restoration industry; I'm sure it's in your field as well.

If you pay any attention at all to what the Big Tech gurus are saying at global conferences and shindigs, they are eager to remove humans from the labor equation wherever possible. Other actors are seeking to use this to pursue a socialist Universal Basic Income, whereby everyone is on the government dole and thus more easily controlled, particularly as tech-driven surveillance becomes more mainstream (see State Rep. Tom Gann's long-running fight against the implementation of Flock cameras and similar technology across the state).

SQ 832 does not fight this trend; it subsidizes it. Rather than lifting employees up the ladder, it would saw it off above their reach.

Google bringing major data centers to Muskogee County

Under the code name Project Scissortail, Google has been preparing a massive nearly 420-acre new project just south of the Muskogee city limits. According to a document from the City of Muskogee, there will be multiple phases to the development (up to four), and "each developed Phase will include a data center comprised of approximately 300,000 square feet" together with other structures and buildings. Another data center will be built near the town of Council Hill.

Work has been going on for months, but the official public confirmation that Google is behind it all has only come in recent days. I drove out to the area the other day, and the amount of construction going on there is massive. KJRH has a little bit of footage of the construction in this news clip.

In addition to the Scissortail project, there's also construction at the CoreScientific data center, the existing (and expanding) Polaris data center, and Starburst Power's lithium refinery... there's a lot going on out there. 

~419 acre project area south of Muskogee

Here is the press release from Port Muskogee, officially announcing the plan:

Google Announces Two Data Center Campuses in Muskogee County, Oklahoma

published by Port Muskogee

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (November, 20 2025) – Google, along with Muskogee County, City of Muskogee and Port Muskogee today announced plans for two new data center campuses near the towns of Summit and Council Hill, as well as new agreements to add energy to the electricity grid — building on the company’s longstanding presence in Oklahoma.

Gann highlights suppression of license plate scanner evidence by State Court

Gann Highlights Suppression of License Plate Scanner Evidence by State Court

OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 30th) – Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, has taken notice of what he believes is the first of many actions by Oklahoma courts to suppress evidence obtained from license plate scanners.

“The decision will place many cases against perpetrators of criminal acts in jeopardy,” Gann explained.

According to Gann, the issue arises from local government entities entering into contracts with a nationwide big-tech firm, Flock, to install 24/7 vehicle scanning technology—despite such actions being prohibited by Oklahoma law.

“When the government uses these devices to scan every passing vehicle, they are violating Oklahoma law. This puts every resulting conviction in jeopardy,” Gann stated.

State House committee tackles, passes several AI regulation bills

House Committee Passes Numerous AI Regulation Bills

OKLAHOMA CITY (February 20th) – The Oklahoma House Government Modernization and Technology Committee passed numerous artificial intelligence (AI) regulation bills on Tuesday [February 20th].

Gov. Stitt announces final recommendations from AI task force

GOVERNOR STITT ANNOUNCES FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM AI TASK FORCE

OKLAHOMA CITY (January 22, 2024) - Today, Gov. Kevin Stitt released the final recommendations from his task force on artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies. Created to establish Oklahoma as the top state for responsible and proactive AI implementation, the task force laid out strategies and goals to make government more efficient and prepare the workforce for tomorrow's economy.

State Rep. Josh West refiles Oklahoma Computer Data Privacy Act

Rep. Josh West Refiles Data Privacy Bill

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Josh West, R-Grove has refiled legislation that would require consumer consent for all personal data collection and sharing by major technology companies operating in the state.

House Bill 1030 would create the Oklahoma Computer Data Privacy Act.

"Major technology companies track our every conversation, our spending records, our movements and so much more and then sell that information so it can be used to socially engineer us through marketing manipulation," West said. "Or worse, this information is used to perpetrate financial crimes against our citizenry and to actively spread mass disinformation."

West pointed to a National Security Commission's 700-plus page report that explains how adversaries to the United States are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to enhance disinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks that identify and target American citizens. Big tech companies, meanwhile, are profiting off of the sale of such personal and private data that is meant to manipulate and coerce behavior.

The report revealed that America is ill-prepared for the next decade of technological development, and part of that is due to a lack of governmental action in regulating things like data privacy. The commission recommends legislatures pass meaningful data privacy measures to protect their constituents.

Among other things, HB1030 would require business operating in the state that collect consumers' personal information to fully disclose the information collected and how it is being used or sold in a clear and conspicuous place and allow consumers to opt in or opt out.

The law would apply to businesses with an annual gross revenue of more than $15 million or that share for commercial purposes the personal information of 50,000 or more consumers or that derive 25% or more of its annual revenue from selling consumers' personal information.

HB1030 is a revision of legislation filed the last two years by West and other lawmakers. The previous bills passed the House but failed to advance in the Senate. West said he's reached out to those who have been against the legislation and asked for any input to gain their support.

"One argument is the state could lose billions of dollars, but that is simply not true," West said. "And shouldn't we be more interested in protecting peoples' personal information than in a corporate bottom line?"

Another argument is that this is a matter for the federal government to address. West said he doesn't envision that happening any time soon.

West said Oklahoma is falling behind other states in this matter as other states have already passed similar legislation or are considering it in the interest of protecting their constituents. Three states have enacted comprehensive consumer data privacy laws. Lawmakers have introduced similar bills in eight states this year as well as numerous bills on biometric information, children’s privacy, health data privacy, data broker regulation, and automated employment decision tools.

The goal of his legislation, West said, is to acknowledge Oklahomans' Constitutional rights to privacy and establish that collection of personal data without knowledge or consent is a violation of such privacy. 

The legislative session starts Feb. 6. After that, bills will be eligible to be first and second read and must pass committee before being considered for passage on the House floor.

Josh West serves District 5 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His districts includes parts of Delaware and Mayes counties.

Rep. Cole tapped to chair powerful House Rules Committee, Rep. Lucas leading Science, Space, and Tech

Oklahoma's two most senior members of the United States House of Representatives have been tapped to head up House committees. Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) will chair the powerful House Rules Committee, while Rep. Frank Lucas (OK-03) will chair the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Small: Power grab in Washington could harm Oklahoma

Power grab in Washington could harm Oklahoma

By Jonathan Small

Proposals to penalize “big business” often work to instead hammer small businesses and harm job creation in states like Oklahoma. A new federal effort to break up certain large tech companies falls into that category.

"Who's at church?" CDC tracked millions of phones for pandemic compliance

Bombshell report from Motherboard: the Centers for Disease Control "bought access to location data harvested from tens of millions of phones in the United States to perform analysis of compliance with curfews, track patterns of people visiting K-12 schools [and churches], and specifically monitor the effectiveness of policy in the Navajo Nation," according to documents obtained by the tech blog.

State Reps file bipartisan Data Privacy Act of 2022

Reps. Josh West, Walke File Data Privacy Act of 2022

OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, Majority Leader Rep. Josh West, R-Grove, and Rep. Collin Walke, D-Oklahoma City, filed the Oklahoma Computer Data Privacy Act of 2022. 

“The importance of data privacy legislation cannot be overstated,” West said. “In 2018, President Donald Trump created the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. The commission’s 700-plus page report explains that not only are ‘[a]dversaries using AI systems to enhance disinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks,’ but they are also ‘harvesting data on Americans to build profiles of their beliefs, behavior, and biological makeup for tailored attempts to manipulate or coerce individuals.’ I will not sit idly by while private information like our biological makeup is pilfered by profiteering tech companies so they can get rich by selling our data and we can be exploited. I stand beside former President Trump and his commission, and that is why I am authoring this legislation in accordance with the commission’s recommendations.”

Walke said, “The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence explained that America is ill-prepared for the next decade of technological development, and part of that is due to a lack of governmental action in regulating things like data privacy. It is time that we heed the advice of security experts like the National Security Commission and pass meaningful data privacy legislation. We must be part of the solution and not the problem.”

Opt-in data privacy legislation passes State House committee

Opt-In Data Privacy Legislation Passes Committee

OKLAHOMA CITY – Bipartisan legislation to address concerns over data privacy and data manipulation unanimously passed out of the House Technology Committee today with a vote of 6 to 0. 

The Oklahoma Computer Data Privacy Act, House Bill 1602, requires internet technology companies to obtain explicit permission to collect and sell personal data. 

The legislation has bipartisan support and is co-authored by more than 40 representatives and senators. The legislation’s primary authors, Reps. Josh West and Collin Walke, see the bill as an opportunity to claw back privacy rights from companies that continue to abuse them. 

AG Hunter wants of privacy issues surrounding COVID contact tracing apps, sends letter to tech giants

Attorney General Hunter Warns of Privacy Issues Surrounding Contact Tracing Apps, Sends Letter to Apple, Google Asking Companies to Help Protect Consumers

OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Hunter is warning Oklahomans that downloading certain contact tracing applications to their cellphones or computers could compromise their personally identifiable information, including sensitive health information.

In an effort to alert Apple and Google to these concerns Attorney General Hunter joined a bi-partisan coalition of 38 other state attorneys general in sending a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, asking the companies to take steps to help protect consumers from this threat.

Attorney General Hunter said although there is proposed federal legislation to address the privacy concerns, there is currently no national standard for how the apps should work.

Walke files bill to protect Oklahomans' email data

Walke Legislation Would Protect Email Data of Oklahomans 

OKLAHOMA CITY -- State Rep. Collin Walke (D-OKC) filed legislation this session to protect email users’ data from being collected by corporations.

House Bill 2810, dubbed “The Oklahoma Email Communication Content Privacy Protection Act,” would make it illegal for companies, like Google or Microsoft, that host email servers to glean information from users.

"Tech companies have profited off of our private information for years, and it's time we start reclaiming our privacy," Walke said. "House Bill 2810 is what I hope to be the first of many steps toward a more balanced and fair use of private information. 

“In its infancy, email was a quick and efficient communication tool.  However, in today's world, email is a necessity, and we should not have to choose between participating in modern society or having our personal information exploited. I no more want the United State Postal Service knowing when and how I read my mail than I do Google my email.  If tech companies want to be treated as public goods, then ensuring that they do not harness our information for their own personal benefit is an absolute necessity."     

Gov 2.0a Conference this weekend

Last year, I was able to attend the Gov 2.0a conference in Oklahoma City. The 2011 sequel is being held this weekend, at the Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it this year, but I highly recommend this conference if you can do it (registration closes tomorrow).

From the website:

The second annual Gov 2.0a conference is focused on applications of technology to government problems. The conference will be a forum to learn about successful Gov 2.0 applications through case studies, to learn about best practices for Gov 2.0 applications, and to network with other professionals from city and state organizations, community groups, non-profits and the private sector who share interest in the application of technology to improve the functioning of our government.

You will have the chance to see over a dozen talks on the Gov 2.0 themes of Open Data, Crowd Sourcing, and Citizen Participation. The speakers are nationally known Gov 2.0 experts who will share their experiences and lessons learned that will inform your own efforts to improve government. You will have the opportunity to meet and talk with speakers and attendees during one of the many scheduled breaks and networking events.

For more information on this truly outstanding event, go to Gov20a.com.

Gov. 2.0a Conference Recap

I attended the Gov 2.0a conference in Oklahoma City this past week, and came away with a lot of valuable information.

What exactly is meant by "Government 2.0"? Applying new technology to how government is run, in order to make it more efficient, transparent, accountable, and participatory.

Speakers at the conference spoke on a variety of topics, from utilizing social networking to interact citizens/constituents, to how using technology can save money and improve services, to how a transparent government can spark (as speaker Laurel Ruma said) an "innovation economy".

Here are just a few quotes and tidbits from the conference.

• Laurel Ruma: "People are moving from using Social Web to participating in Civic Web."
• Carolyn Purcell: "Web 1.0 was the government giving citizens information. Web 2.0 is two-way interaction and communication between the government and its citizens."
• Mark Mitchell: "eGovernment encourages citizens to get "online" instead on "in-line" to interact with government."
• Mike Koehler: "People are hungry for information, and for participation."
• There are 192 members of Congress on Twitter - 65% are Republicans.
• Crowd-sourcing is a way to get citizens and employees involved. Sam's Club has saved $1M by unscrewing lightbulbs in their store vending machines - just one idea that came from crowd-sourcing with their employees.
• 75% of people get some of their news from blogs or social media. Kind of like you're doing right now!
• Facebook has 400,000,000 users, and Twitter has 105,000,000 users.
• SeeClickFix is an amazing tool that local governments should take advantage of. Citizens can post issues (i.e. potholes, graffiti, etc.) on a map of their city. The city is then made aware of the problem, and takes care of it. Not only does the citizen know that the issue was resolved, but it builds goodwill between the government and the citizens (as opposed to the all-too-often situation of a local government that seems unresponsive to citizen input).
• Manor, Texas, is on the forefront of the Gov 2.0 scene. They utilize social networking, crowd-sourcing, SeeClickFix, and a very interesting way to communicate with the public called QR-Codes, just to name a few.
  

I can't give the conference justice in a post here, but video from the event will be up on Gov20a.com soon. Once it is posted, I will link to the videos.

Gov 2.0a Conference in OKC

This is an upcoming event that I would like to recommend for anyone involved in government here in Oklahoma.

GOVERNMENT 2.0
Technology Applied to Improving Government

OKLAHOMA CITY – A government of the people, by the people should be for the people, but these days government has lost the personal touch. Now government and community leaders can learn how to better serve the people by getting personal.

The Gov 2.0a conference is focused on applications of technology to government problems. The conference will be a forum to learn about successful Gov 2.0 applications through case studies, to learn about best practices for Gov 2.0 applications, and to network with other professionals from city and state organizations, community groups, non-profits and the private sector who share interest in the application of technology to improve the functioning of our government.

The Gov 2.0a conference will feature state and local leaders who are using technology to better communicate with communities. Speakers will include Alex Pettit, Oklahoma’s first Chief Information Officer; Lt. Governor Jari Askins; Zach Nash, Oklahoma City’s Creative Director; Stephen Nolen, Shawnee Chief Information Officer; and many others.

WHO: Gov 2.0a Conference
WHAT: Bringing government and community leaders together to learn how to use technology to communicate with communities.
WHEN: May 6-7
WHERE: Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City.
WEB: www.Gov20a.com

For more information or to schedule interviews contact Sid at (405) 585-6060 or sid@littlegov.com

Again, if you are involved in government at any level (city, county, state, or federal), or do anything with technology, or just want to be on the cutting edge of government transparency and user-friendliness, this conference is for you!

New OK Government Resource - TheHouseandSenate.com

There's a great new resource for all things state government - TheHouseandSenate.com.

Introducing TheHouseandSenate.com, the web site that was built by two assistants to be your one-stop shop for frequently accessed Oklahoma state web sites and contact information.

Our perspective is unique because we work for Legislators, we work with state agencies, and we work for the people of Oklahoma . Creating this web site is our solution to streamlining and making government more efficient for the state of Oklahoma and the people we serve.

The website is run by two assistants at the State Capitol - one who works for a state senator, and another who works for a state representative. Their experience in working with constituents has been invaluable in finding these resources, which will be very helpful not only for other legislative assistants, but for everyday Oklahoma citizens, as TheHouseandSenate.com is laid out in a much more user-friendly manner than any of Oklahoma governmental websites.

Two Great Posts from The Next Right

Here's two great posts from The Next Right that I had to share.

1. Just Who's Responsible for Fiscal Mismanagement?, by Matthew Gagnon
Excerpt:

• In the 38 years since 1900 that the Republican Party has had complete control over the Congress, they have been responsible for twenty-three surplus budgets, and fifteen deficit budgets.
• The complete record of Republican congresses has a net deficit of more than one trillion dollars ($1,072,594,000). That represents a roughly $28,226,157,895 deficit for every budget they are responsible for.
• In the 58 years since 1900 that the Democratic Party has had complete control over the Congress, they have been responsible for seven surplus budgets, fifty deficit budgets, and 1 budget with no data available.
• The complete record of Democratic congresses has a net deficit of more than three trillion dollars ($3,305,777,000,000). That represents a roughly $57,996,087,719 deficit for every budget they are responsible for.

2. Stop Talking About "Technology", by Patrick Ruffini
Excerpt:

The Rebuild the Party plan has often been characterized as a way to remake the party through technology. Though we've sometimes slipped in using that word to describe certain elements of the plan -- I generally feel uncomfortable with it being pigeonholed as a "technology" plan. I've generally struck "technology" from my vocabulary, taking instead about "new media" or simply, the "Internet" or when talking about a generational shift in fundraising or a 435 district strategy, wholesale party reform. Why? Because the word "technology" reinforces old siloed habits of thinking and implies that the solution is spending money on cool tech toys, rather than a quantum shift in approach.

Thought-provoking posts; I recommend reading them.